A New Way to Exercise

NO MORE TABOO: Sensual Movement & Fitness

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

Lena Hanchard flies high in Bermuda during a Black Girls Pole retreat in June 2019.

“Once you start treating that body nice, it will morph; it’ll change because you’re showing it love. It’s kind of like a plant that you’re not giving water to or you’re talking badly to. It’s not gonna grow. When you start nourishing it, then the thing’s gonna bloom. You have to look in the mirror and talk nice to yourself.”

– Lena Hanchard, owner/instructor, Closet Poler Alternative Fitness

Owner Lena Hanchard opened the doors of Closet Poler Alternative Fitness, her boutique fitness studio, just before the pandemic hit in 2020. The business’s tagline: “Where women go to play.”

“I was in a bad marriage,” she says. “I needed something to do to get me through the divorce.”

After professional counseling and focusing on her healing, Hanchard started taking pole classes in Union City.

Pole classes?

Often connected to the world of exotic dance, maneuvering on a vertical pole actually dates back to hundreds of years ago in India, China and other countries. Combined today with acrobatics and aerial gymnastics, it’s a total body workout for women to build their confidence while improving strength, coordination and flexibility.

Hanchard, whose pole fitness name is Twista, began her journey in pole fitness by attending classes in studios around Atlanta, studying and learning which elements of the programs she preferred. Ultimately, she was inspired to start teaching.

“Poling itself was therapy for me and it helped me to just be patient,” she says. “Learning different things with your

body and wanting to progress, you have to have patience and you have to be consistent with what you’re doing.” Adds Hanchard: “The divorce took me three years. It was a nasty divorce. My child was having some issues because of the marriage and the divorce, so I was dealing with a lot of different things at that time.” She credits pole with helping her process it. Seeing a need for classes closer to home, Hanchard opened her studio in Newnan. “I needed to bring it here,” Hanchard said to herself. “I don’t know if they’re ready for it, but I’m bringing it.” With a background that includes doing pole fitness for 10 years and teaching almost three years, Hanchard began teaching chair classes at several studios around Newnan. Eventually, she rented out temporary space at Southern Arc Dance Center, taught chair classes, and then Lena Hanchard offers pole fitness classes at her studio inside added pole classes. Southern Arc Dance Center in Newnan. However, she could only teach one or two students at a time, and the pole was heavy to transport, so she began looking for a space to set up permanently. After studying a few different locations, she found a permanent classroom at Southern Arc Dance Center on Greenway Court.

Photo by Sara Moore

Photo by Sara Moore

Local ladies take part in a pole fitness class at Closet Poler.

“When I finally opened up, it just changed everything for me,” says Hanchard. “It was just going to be a space for women, and I knew there were lots of women out there like me who had things in their life that go on, and they don’t have time for themselves. Or they’re in a bad marriage and the person might have made them think differently about themselves. Whatever it is, the pole helps women with their confidence.”

The instructor says she’s had students cry as feelings came to the surface from dancing.

“They finally felt welcomed and free,” she says. “That’s what keeps me doing it because I know that women need it. I know it’s just a pole, but it really isn’t. Those are props and, yeah, you have to condition yourself, but it does something from the inside out when you pole. Any woman who’s done it and taken that journey – they all have a different story to tell.”

Don’t stereotype her classes as “stripper pole classes,” however. Hanchard educates women that there are different types of poles and that what is portrayed on TV is nothing like what she teaches.

Students are offered classes in pole, aerial hoop, sensual movement on the floor with heels, and sensual chair classes.

“We teach classes that help a woman know her body and understand how it moves – and to appreciate it,” says Hanchard.

Newbies can start by taking a virgin pole class with instructor January “Crimson Goddess” Da Vila, who conducts affirmations with students before class. Hanchard says it’s a great class to start with as the choreography is easy.

Once a student has mastered the moves, she can advance to beginner classes, taught by Hanchard, who also offers stretch and balance classes and pole conditioning. A few popular classes include:

Liquid Motions. This sensual floor class gives students a break from pole.

Legmerize. This class teaches students how to wear their heels along with knee pads to do leg movements without having to stand up.

Chair Flair. In this class, students learn sensual movements while wearing leggings or fishnets and lingerie.

“If you have an outfit that you want to buy but you don’t know where you can wear it, bring it to pole class,” says Hanchard.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

Editor’s Note: Freelance writer Jennifer Dziedzic had been wanting to take a pole fitness class to find out for herself what the rave was all about. When she was assigned an article to write for NCM, her procrastination came to an end. Here’s her first-hand account of the latest exercise craze.

Arriving at Closet Poler, inside Southern Arc Dance Center, my friend Shawna Annis joined me for a virgin pole class. We were so excited as we both love to dance. With my background as a massage therapist and hers as a yoga instructor, we know the benefits of movement in promoting physical wellness.

This class, however, teaches so much more.

Changing into short shorts and fitted tank tops, we both took down our hair in preparation for some sexy hair whips. We entered the room with our water bottles and socks for warm-ups and selected one of the six available poles.

To set the mood, hues of purple light accented the low-lit studio as sultry music echoed throughout. The energy in the room was alluring and electric.

The instructor, Lena “Twista” Hanchard, had us wipe our hands and the pole with alcohol to remove any oils that may be present. Then she set the music to a seductive song as we began to sway to the beat, feeling the rhythm as we warmed up our bodies. Each move was thoroughly explained and easy to follow.

Eventually, the moves became more challenging. Toes pointed, we focused on keeping our form beautiful, graceful and sensual as we moved, watching only ourselves in the mirrors lining the wall.

With a slow and deliberate intention, Hanchard demonstrated how to grab the pole with both hands, jump and then criss-cross both legs around the pole and squeeze at the thighs as our legs extend to hold ourselves in place while the toes stay pointed. (Note to newbies: Wear short shorts for class and carry the understanding that your body may get a few bruises here and there from the pressure point contact with the pole.)

Mimicking moves as Hanchard demonstrated, I grasped the pole as high as I could reach. I lifted myself, swinging my legs up and out, using my abs and feeling the challenge to my core.

Photo by Lena Hanchard

Shawna Annis, left, and NCM writer Jennifer Dziedzic learn the basics of pole exercise in their first class at Closet Poler.

Suddenly, my biggest lesson while attending my first pole fitness class became apparent: It was that I should not have gotten a massage immediately beforehand.

I had arrived at the class feeling relaxed, muscle tension worked out, but completely covered in a thin layer of oil-based massage cream from head to toe. As my legs touched the pole, the oils on my skin prevented my grasping it, and the lack of friction took me down to the ground in one swift motion.

So much for grace.

Laughing, I stood up and regained my composure. A patient instructor, Hanchard suggested I use alcohol to remove the oil from my legs and the pole. Once clean, it was time to give it another try, and I was able to execute the move.

It was exhilarating.

In the air, I felt powerful, strong, and so beautiful.

Glancing in the mirror, I was in awe of myself – doing something entirely for me – confident and unstoppable. NCM